Water wheel with drink can water supply tank

myminifactory

Human: Turn your used 250 mL 'slim' drink can into a functional water supply tank in this fully operational 3D printed water wheel model. \r\n\r\n\r\nInnovative spirit inspired by #FuelingInnovation, I take a look back at an ancient innovation that profoundly impacted human civilization: the humble water wheel. For thousands of years, this technology has enabled us to harness energy from a flowing stream or river to accomplish various tasks that would otherwise require hard manual labor. \r\nIn this model, I use a mechanism for converting the rotation of the water wheel into vertical up-down motion, known as a camshaft. This design replicates a stamp mill, which was used for crushing ore in the process of extracting useful minerals from mined rock (read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamp_mill). The camshaft here is driven by an overshot-style water wheel, with water gravity-fed from a raised tank (in our case a standard slim 250 mL drink can, e.g. RedBull). \r\nPrint the provided files and assemble (with super glue) to create your own. \r\n \r\nDetailed assembly instructions:\r\n(1) Prepare water tank:\r\n- Drill a large hole in the bottom of the can. The can will be used upside down so water flows from the pre-existing opening. The drilled hole will allow the can to be filled from the top. - Optional: spray paint the can. I used a light layer of etch primer, followed by a few layers of silver paint and then a clear coat. \r\n- ALTERNATIVELY: print out 'printed-water-tank'. I would suggest using the 'spiralize outer contour' option in Cura, or 'vase mode' as it is known in other slicers. This should result in a considerably faster print time. \r\n(2) Assemble the base:\r\n- Set the 'Base_stand' prints in place. - Feed 'Camshaft_part_1' through the right-side 'Camshaft_stand'. Push a cam all the way down the end. - Glue 'Camshaft_part_2' after the cam on the end of 'Camshaft_part_1', and place another cam on the end. Make sure cams are oriented so that they are pointed 120 degrees apart, in sequence. - Likewise, glue in 'Camshaft_part_3' and the third cam. - Feed 'Camshaft_part_4' through the left-side 'Camshaft_stand', glue in place and glue the 'Camshaft_gear' on the end, so that it meshes with the 'Wheel_gear'.\r\n(3) Assemble the stamps and stamp frame:\r\n- Fit the three stamps into the 'Stamp_frame_board' prints, with a board on either side of the protrusions. The proper orientation is with the protrusions more than halfway up. - Glue the boards into the slots in the 'Stamp_frame_posts'. It might help to fit the posts into the base first. - Make sure the protrusions on the stamps face the camshaft. - Fit the 'Stamp_feet'.\r\n(4) Assemble the water tank tower:\r\n- Fit the pieces of 'Tank_stand_part_1' into the slots in the base. - 'Tank_stand_part_2' glues in place above part 1. - Glue the 'Can_holder' on top, making sure the outlet hole is pointed toward the wheel. - Glue the 'Brace' in the slots in 'Tank_stand_part_2'. - Fit the can into the 'Can_holder' upside down, sealing with silicone or hot glue.\r\n(5) Attach the water chute:\r\n- Glue the 'Chute_funnel' below the hole in the 'Water_chute'. In my version, this is glued the wrong way around (alas!). The 'Chute_funnel' should point straight down when the chute is in place, rather than back at an angle. It seems to work either way, however. - Glue the 'Water_chute' into the slot in the 'Can_holder', and to the top of the 'Brace'. Seal the edges with silicone to stop leaking if desired. - Finally, fit the 'Flow_restrictor_plug' into the hole of the 'Can_holder'. This gives you flexibility in controlling water flow. Make the hole larger to increase flow, or smaller to decrease it. The current setup is tuned for my setup to turn the wheel relatively slowly. Depending on how your setup differs, increased hole size may require adjustments to the water chute design as well.